China hopes all relevant sides can maintain "calm and restraint" in the wake of a failed satellite launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday morning, according to comments made in Beijing on Friday afternoon.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said, "China stresses that the maintenance of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in northeastern Asia is a common responsibility of, and in the interests of, all sides."

He called for endeavors to properly handle the situation.

After the DPRK announced its plan to launch the satellite, China has time and again expressed its concern and worry.

"We have kept close communications with the DPRK, Russia, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan for a while," Liu said.

"Under the current circumstances, we will continue to coordinate with all sides in an effort to jointly maintain regional peace and stability."

China had called on all sides to keep in contact and urged calm and restraint in an earlier statement made by Liu after the DPRK confirmed that the earth observation satellite launched earlier on Friday morning failed to enter orbit.

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